A legal battle over the rights of a conservative Christian group to protest outside a Northeast Side church was placed on hold yesterday to give the group time to prepare its case.

A hearing on a request by Vineyard Columbus for a preliminary injunction against members of Minutemen United was rescheduled for Aug. 1. In the meantime, a Franklin County judge extended a temporary restraining order that prohibits protesters from gathering on the church’s property just south of Westerville.

Common Pleas Judge Charles A. Schneider thanked the protesters for honoring the restraining order by holding their latest demonstration across the street from the church, at 6000 Cooper Rd., during services on Sunday.

The church, whose membership of about 8,500 makes it one of the largest in Ohio, filed a complaint against the group’s members on July 1, saying they have trespassed on church property to place signs and conduct demonstrations since October.

Jim Harrison, one of the group’s leaders, said the members are voicing opposition to the church’s “passive resistance” to abortion and gay marriage.

“We want to get the church more involved in the culture wars,” he said after the hearing.

Thomas W. Condit, a lawyer representing Harrison and one other Minutemen member, asked the judge to continue the hearing so he can research property records.

The Minutemen “believe they are on public right of way,” he said.

In its complaint, the church said that its property runs to the center line of Cooper Road and that the city owns a 30-foot easement extending onto the property.

Minutemen United contends that the easement includes a public right of way where members can gather. Vineyard wants the judge to restrain the group from entering church property, “which shall include the grassy shoulder that abuts the edge of Cooper Road.”

The church’s attorney, Drew Campbell, said the case is about property rights, privacy rights and public safety.

“The church has an ownership interest in that property, which sits in a residential neighborhood” on a busy street, he said. The protesters “can say whatever they want, but not wherever they want and not however they want.”

The Minutemen think that “if we’re right about the public right of way, it goes from being a property case to a First Amendment case,” Condit said outside the courtroom. “If the First Amendment kicks in, (the Minutemen) are completely protected.”